Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is an direct-to-video animated film directed by Sam Liu from a screenplay by Ernie Altbacker based on The Judas Contract by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. It is the sequel to Justice League vs. Teen Titans. It had its world premiere at WonderCon on March 31, 2017. The film was released through digital download on April 4, 2017 and through home media on April 18, 2017 by Warner Home Video. Additionally in the film, Crispin Freeman, Jason Spisak and Masasa Moyo reprise their respective roles from Young Justic Plot Five years ago. The Teen Titans, consisting of Robin, Speedy, Bumblebee, Beast Boy and Kid Flash have just defeated the Fearsome Five. A portal opens in the sky, unleashing Gordanians after the alien princess Koriand'r. Smitten with her, Robin orders the Titans to protect the girl. Speedy sends an explosive into the portal, which swallows the Gordanians back to where they came from and sealing the breach. A grateful Koriand'r kisses Robin, explaining that her species, Tamaranians, learn language through kisses. She further explains that her sister, Komand'r seized the throne in a coup, thus forcing her to flee. Robin offers her a place on the Titans until she can decide what to do next. Annoying Bumblebee, Speedy and Kid Flash attempt to have Koiand'r kiss them by offering their knowledge of Spanish and French. Five years later. Nightwing has rejoined the Titans, who now consist of Koriand'r (now Starfire), Beast Boy, Raven, Blue Beetle, Robin II and Terra. Their current mission is to break into a H.I.V.E. facility and take it out. Nightwing considers how to break in, until Starfire tells him that Terra will sneak them in with her geokenesis. Terra opens a path in the cliff and closes it behind them. Starfire lights the area, as Terra concentrates on lifting the bit of earth they're on. Blue Beetle notes that the scarab doesn't like the confined space; it lashes out when a bit of dirt hits it. Raven blocks a tendril with a force-field, while Robin threatens to "control" the scarab for him. Raven suggests fighting "somewhere roomier, like broom closet." Beast Boy notes he doesn't have a problem due to being a gopher before. In the H.I.V.E. base, Mother Mayhem is contacted by an agent allied with H.I.V.E., who tells her that the Titans are about to break into the facility. Mayhem considers the warning not necessary, but is told by her contact that believing or not is up to her. He signs off, leaving her annoyed. Below ground, Nightwing debriefs the team, explaining that his purpose of leaving the Titans before was to exclusively spend his time studying H.I.V.E; they are radicals and extremists who won't think about sacrificing themselves if it means killing them. Terra stops to take a breath, telling the Titans that they are currently one foot below the floor. She asks them who wants to "knock." A hole is blown through the floor and the Titans jump out, with Starfire ordering them to attack. Per usual, the Titans have some trouble; Blue Beetle can't control the scarab well, Robin's attitude problem and Beast Boy trying to woo Terra. Seeing that the base has been compromised, Mother Mayhem orders a retreat to her assistant. Once they have loaded equipment into a truck, Mayhem thanks the H.I.V.E. operatives and "blesses" them with a swift death via gunshots. In the meantime, the Titans take out the H.I.V.E. agents, with Robin noting that they prepared well for them. However, more H.I.V.E. agents arrive in exosuits to buy Mayhem more time to escape. Nightwing and Starfire tagteam and take out two suits. Seeing a control room, Nightwing races up to it, while the rest of the Titans fight the suits. Trying to break into the control room, Nightwing is covered by Starfire, who knocks out H.I.V.E. goons with her starbolts. Multi-tasking, Nightwing mentions that now is a good time to talk about taking the next step in their relationship. They manage to break in, and Nightwing starts downloading the files. Before Nightwing can finish what he was telling Starfire, the rest of the Titans enter the room, having defeated the H.I.V.E. exosuits. Seeing it's not going to get any better, Nightwing asks Starfire to move into his new apartment with him; he gives her a key. Starfire accepts the key, gladly. Beast Boy thinks Nightwing and Starfire believe they're too good to live in the tower with them now. Terra quips "Yeah That's the takeaway from this." At Titans Tower, Beast Boy plays Foosball with Jaime in the lounge. Terra walks in, considering what to eat. She meets Beast Boy's gaze, and he gives her a flirtatious look. Annoyed, she scoffs and walks away. Winning the game, Jaime suggests to Beast Boy that he try a different approach if he wants to try getting Terra to like him. Hearing his phone ringing, Jaime got to take a video call on his computer. It turns out to be his sister's birthday; he sent her concert tickets to 17 Forever. His parents then take their turn, with the scarab reacting badly to Mr. Reyes; he notes it still doesn't like him. The call turns sour as Mr. Reyes voices his annoyance that no-one in the Justice League found a way to get the scarab off of Jaime; instead, they are teaching him how to be a superhero. In the training room, Starfire practices bo staff techniques against simulated Gordanians. Finishing her session, Starfire finds Terra watching her; she offers Terra the chance to join in. However, Terra declines. Noticing Raven meditating near by, Terra asks Starfire if it's true that Raven trapped her father in the jewel on her forehead. Starfire explains that Raven's father is a demon named Trigon. She then adds, hesitantly, that they have issues. Terra promptly leaves. The moment she does, Raven opens her eyes, seemingly weary about Terra investigating about her past. In the Titans' computer room, Nightwing programs the computer to compile the data taken from the H.I.V.E. base with the data taken from two previous bases they attacked. The computer notifies him about new information on Brother Blood. A news interview appears on the screen, where Blood says that his church only strives to do good; however, the reporter then asks about the rumors that the church is nothing more than a cult. Blood explains that he believes in an America where all beliefs are treated with respect; it's a pity the reporter does not. He promptly leaves, ending the interview. Nightwing is surprised by Robin, who notes that Ra's al Ghul would have been impressed with Blood for being able to manage both a world-wide cult and H.I.V.E. However, Nightwing explains H.I.V.E. and the Church of Blood are the same thing; Blood only makes them look separate. Robin offers congratulations to Nightwing, seeing Starfire as an equal partner for him. Starfire arrives next, fresh out of the shower, asking about the progress about the information; Nightwing explains that he programmed the computer to inform him when it finds relevant data. Robin notes it's not the worse idea he's had, earning annoyance; he thought it was a compliment. Terra arrives, snarkily repeating Robin. As Robin leaves, he is surprised by Beast Boy, who is wondering where Jaime went. \ Terra points to a monitor, showing Jaime attacking a punching bag to the point it breaks off the chain. Hoping to help Jaime past his anger, Starfire asks Beast Boy and Terra to accompany him to the city to help him cool off. Jaime tries getting them to leave him alone; though Terra is fine with leaving him be, Beast Boy instead thinks friends should stick together. Spotting a soup kitchen, Jaime is reminded that his family volunteered at one. He goes instead, and meets a volunteer in charge; she accepts him gladly. Beast Boy is glad Jaime found something to make him happy; he tells Terra that even though they have powers, they're still human. However, Terra has a vision after seeing a homeless woman, scaring her. She promptly leaves, leaving Beast Boy concerned. Elsewhere, Blood is visited by Mayhem during one of his blood baths; he killed the reporter that interviewed him because of his "blasphemous" insinuations. He tells her that they have nothing to worry about from the Titans as he pays their 'guardian angel" well enough to keep them informed. They later visit a lab, where Jericho is used to test a machine; it absorbs the strength of four other people and gives it to him. Blood reflects on how that bathing in the blood of his enemies has kept him alive for 900 years; he now believes it was so he could arrive in this era, where technology could make him greater. Seeing the machine is a success, Blood orders the plans accelerated. Mayhem shoots Jericho in the head, thanking him for his help. Back at Titans Tower, Starfire decides to have a group training session to prepare them for unexpected fights. Blue Beetle and Raven face off, with the scarab using too much force in a laser blast. Raven tells him she is fine, listening for a moment to her father's voice from the gem; apparently, Raven disgraced herself with that failure, much to her amusement. Terra and Beast Boy are matched next, with Beast Boy restraining Terra as a boa constrictor. However, Terra suddenly snaps and calls up a cyclone of earth, which knocks Beast Boy away. Before she can do any further harm, Terra is knocked back by one of Starfire's blasts. Robin tells Terra to control herself, snapping her back to her sense. Terra apologizes, while Raven offers to help calm her mind. Surprised that the Titans are not mad at her, she asks what's wrong with them and marches off. At a cemetery, Brother Blood talks to the graves as if the people in them were still alive. This unnerves his contact, Deathstroke; he has no problem with the meeting place, but he is not liking the idea of his client talking to himself. Blood explains to Deathstroke he speaks to the dead, for no matter how rotted the corpse, their is still a wisp of life in them; sometimes enough to bring them back to life. This is something Deathstroke is familiar with due to seeing Ra's al Ghul cheat death with a Lazarus Pit numerous times. They get to business; Blood asks the timeline be moved up a week. When Slade points out it's not in their contract, Blood offers to pay double as compensation. When asked if he can keep up his end of the deal, the capture of the Teen Titans, Deathstroke nods solemnly. At the soup kitchen, Jaime works happily; he needed this work to help with his anxiety over being separated from his family. He accidentally burns himself on a tray, getting attention from his fellow volunteer. However, the scarab attempts to activate due to Jaime's increased heartbeat. He quickly hides in the supply closet, attempting to reason with the scarab; he explains that he is not in any sort of danger, just sexually attracted. To his embarrassment, the girl overhears him. At Titans Tower, Starfire is packing up her belongings; she reflects on an amulet she had since childhood. Nightwing comforts her. Suddenly, the entire tower begins shaking; Starfire moans "not again." They, Beast Boy, Robin and Raven rush to Terra's room, where she is convulsing in her sleep and calling upon her powers. Raven attempts to calm Terra's mind, awakening her; she rudely tells them to leave her be. Nightwing and Starfire leave; she notes the nightmare earthquakes are semi-frequent. Once they and Beast Boy leave, Robin asks Raven what she saw in Terra's mind; she tells him it's not his business. However, Robin tells her that everything that goes on in the tower should be the business of each Titan. Raven considers Robin's words. Later, Nightwing works on the data they got from H.I.V.E.; Robin surprises him. Thinking it's about Terra's lack of control, Nightwing is surprised to hear that Robin is distrustful of her. Starfire and Raven arrive nest, with Raven backing Robin up as she has sensed something off about Terra since she tried looking into her mind. However, Nightwing agrees with Starfire that Terra deserves a chance to be helped. Robin tells them that making choices with their hearts will lead to deaths. Hoping Raven feels different, Starfire gives a hopeful look; however, Raven just follows Robin out of the room. Robin later follows Terra into the city, keeping to the rooftops. However, he is surprised when Terra suddenly elevates herself to the roof. Terra explains that she could feel the seismic vibration of his footsteps, even through a building. He asks what's eating away at her; Terra vents that Beast Boy's attempts to woo her, Jaime's inability to control the scarab, Raven's accusing stares, Nightwing's den mother personality and Starfire's constant smiles annoy her. Not to mention Robin's now stalking her. Robin explains that he had a hard time fitting in with Titans, offering to help her as well. Deathstroke surprises them, taunting Robin for sounding so caring. "Well look what Hell spit up." Robin guesses that Slade got to a Lazarus Pit before he could die; Slade confirms the theory, adding that frequent bathing in it has improved his muscle tone to the point he can smash holes in concrete. Robin tells Terra to run, charging Slade with his blade; however, Slade notes that his time with the Titans has soften his battles skills as he no longer seeks to kill his opponents. Catching Slade in an arm-lock, Robin is knocked off by Terra. Being swallowed into the roof, Robin yells at her for betraying them. However, Terra smirks that implies she was ever on their side. At Nighwing's apartement, he and Starfire unpack her belongings, which include a lot a weapons. They have a playful fight, which is interrupted by a text from Damian, surprisingly, which says he's working solo. Nightwing adds that Damian approves of them, prompting Starfire to kiss him. In truth, Damian has been trapped in a wall in Deathstroke's lair by Terra. Damian constantly baits Slade with the hope that he'll be dumb enough to let him out; however, it seems the Batman tactics won't work. Beating him for fun, Slade tells Dmaian that he will have revenge for the League of Assassins chosing Damian over him for the next Demon's Head by killing the Titans. Slade is later visited by Terra, who is wearing make up and see-through pink nightgown to seduce him. Ignoring this, Slade tells Terra is was risky to attempt contacting him. Terra retorts it's because Robin is always suspicious. Deathstroke notes it's normal for Robin, replacing the damaged contact lens camera in her right eye. As he does this, Terra has a flashback: he powers caused people to view her as a demon and a witch, and they attempted to kill her out of fear. However, she was saved by Deathstroke, who took her in and trained her; as a result, Terra loves him. Back at Titans Tower, Terra is visited by Raven, who offers to teach her meditation techniques to help master her terrakenesis. Terra says she'll consider, being told by Raven that the Titans would like to meet with her. To Terra's shock, the Titans have prepared a party to celebrate her year with the team; this prompts Terra to tears. They all enjoy the party, with Nightwing's computer interrupting his dance with Starfire; it turns out that a scientist that is supposed to be dead has his personal lab still being paid for by Blood. Outside, Terra tells Beast Boy about her origins, and learns that everyone on the team has had a rough life before the Titans. They share a kiss, which Terra actually meant; however, Deathstroke thinks it was just a play. Deathstroke shows Damian all the pictures Beast Boy sent, just to annoy him. He notes that it's a shame he doesn't have more time to break him; in a month, he'd have Damian calling him papa and bringing him his pipe. Deathstroke tries sending a reply, but realizes Damian is more of a jerk; he promptly sends a rude text. Terra calls him, informing Slade that the Titans have found Blood's scientist. The Titans head to the lab, where they fight off drones. However, the moment they capture the scientist, Deathstroke reactivates a drones and kills him. This leads Starfire to realize that the Titans have been spied on, telling the team to be careful. The next day, Nightwing talks with Starfire over the phone; she doesn't know how to cook, so she asks him to pick up some takeout. The moment she hangs up, she finds a present outside their home addressed to her from him. At the same time, Jaime heads to the soup kitchen to cook the meals for the day. Beast Boy heads to do his talk with Kevin Smith, and finds a Do Not Press button. Nightwing heads home, finding Starfire gone. Deathstroke attacks. Nightwing falls out of the window, saving himself from a deadly drop at the cost of dislocating his shoulder from grabbing a ledge. Deathstroke follows him, attempting to knock him out. Fed up, Deathstroke shoots him, knocking Nightwing into the river. Nightwing surfaces close by, slamming his shoulder in the pier to relocate it. He checks the soup kitchen and the radio talk, finding Jaime was shocked unconscious and Beast Boy couldn't resist pushing a button, which released knock out darts. He heads to Titans Tower, where he finds Raven's room destroyed by Terra. Elsewhere, Robin attempts to reason with Terra; he tries convincing her that Deathstroke is using the League of Assassins methods to brainwash her. Annoyed, she almost kills him until Slade stops her. He tells her that they can be together once his contract is complete. They take the Titans to Blood's HQ, where the Titans are strapped to a machine the inhibits their powers. Deathstroke reveals Terra's betrayal, noting "there's not lot a grey area there" when it comes to her personality. Blood arrives moments later, explaining that their contract cannot be completed unless a sixth Titan is attached to the machine; he cannot drain their powers unless the machine has an even number of victims. Slade offers Terra, much to her horror and anger. Blood then begins his ceremony to become a god. Nightwing interrupts, destroying the machine and freeing the Titans. However, the explosion managed to turn Blood into a chimera of the Titans' powers. He fights the Titans off as Deathstroke attempts to flee from an enraged Terra. Raven uses her magic to strip Blood of his powers, reducing him to a state weaker than normal. Mother Mayhem shoots Blood to keep him out of jail, revealing she was madly in love with him. Terra crushes Slade with debris, refusing Beast Boy's attempt to help her escape. The entire temple then collapses, forcing the Titans to flee. Weeks later, Beast Boy is doing his talk with Kevin Smith. He asks about the Titans, with Beast Boy vaguely explaining that Wonder Girl has joined them. When asked if the new member will replace Terra, Beast Boy tells him that pain makes a hero, or grinds them into dust. When the right time came, the true Terra shined like a diamond. Elsewhere, Nightwing and Starfire enjoy a day in together, Jaime is reunited with his family and Raven gives Damian a puppy. Cast *Stuart Allan as Damian Wayne/Robin *Taissa Farmiga as Raven *Jake T. Austin as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle *Brandon Soo Hoo as Garfield Logan/Beast Boy *Kari Wahlgren as Starfire *Sean Maher as Dick Grayson/Nightwing *Christina Ricci as Terra *Miguel Ferrer as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke *Gregg Henry as Brother Blood *David Zayas as Alberto Reyes *Maria Canals Barrera as Jaime's Mother *Jason Spisak as Wally West/Kid Flash *Masasa Moyo as Karen Beecher/Bumblebee *Crispin Freeman as Roy Harper/Speedy *Meg Foster as Mother Mayhem *Kevin Smith as Himself Quotes Differences between the comic and film *In the comic, H.I.V.E. hires Deathstroke to capture the Titans. In the film, he is hired by Brother Blood, who runs H.I.V.E. Brother Blood uses the same machine to drain the powers of the Titans, but he instead uses it to power himself. *Cyborg and Donna Troy were omitted in the plot despite being Titans at the time in the comics. This is likely due to the film's continuity, as Cyborg is part of the Justice League, and Donna doesn't join the Titans until after the event happens. They are replaced by Blue Beetle and Damian Wayne. Deathstroke's capture of Blue Beetle (electrifying a metal chair) was the same way he captured Cyborg in the comics. *Jericho and his mother, Adeline Kane, played key roles in the climax in the comic. In the film, Adeline is completely omitted, and Jericho is only used as a test subject for Brother Blood's machine. *Dick Grayson is already Nightwing in this film, whereas the Judas Contract comic featured his debut as Nightwing. *Deathstroke's reasoning for taking the contract in the comic is to get revenge on the Titans for the death of his son, Grant Wilson. In the film, Deathstroke takes the contract to get revenge on Damian Wayne for foiling his plans in Son of Batman. *Terra's character is altered in the adaptation. In the comic, she acts friendly towards the Titans while harboring a deep hatred for them and wanted them dead from her own insanity. In the adaptation, she acts antisocial towards the Titans, but eventually warms up to them over time and even valued her kiss with Beast Boy. *In the film, Terra's motivation to kill Slade and bring the whole building down is from Slade betraying her by giving her up to Brother Blood. In the original comic, she wanted to kill everyone out of blind rage after seeing Slade's strong fatherly affection towards his son, Joseph, and not her. In the adaptation, she prevents Beast Boy from reaching her in time in order to save his life. *Back in Justice League vs. Teen Titans, Raven's skin color was gray like her other animated counterpart. But here, her skin is noticeably less gray which looks almost closer to her previous incarnation. *Terra's still evil, but she's not the sociopath she was in the comics. Rather, Deathstroke saved her from a bunch of bigots planning to murder her and took her in. She even uses her powers to send Beast Boy away when she brings Blood's lair down on herself and Deathstroke. *Aqualad and Wonder Girl don't appear with the original Titans team when seen in a flashback. Wonder Girl does, however, have a cameo at the end where it's revealed she has joined the Titans after Terra's death. * It's Animated Adaptation Of The Judas Contract, and the Church of Blood story that preceded it. Gallery Teen Titans The Judas Contract teaser poster.png|Teaser poster Trivia * Miguel Ferrer, who voiced Deathstroke in the film, passed away on January 19th 2017. * It's easy to miss, but Terra slightly changes her look after the Titans are captured. She adds earrings to her right ear and shaves the bottom half of her hair off. References pl:Teen Titans: The Judas Contract